Utilize the NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire

August 11, 2026

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers a free, validated survey instrument that provides an integrated assessment of worker well-being. The NIOSH Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (WellBQ) holistically measures worker well-being, including quality of working life, physical and mental health status, and their circumstances outside of work.

Fire and EMS departments can use the NIOSH WellBQ instrument to get a fuller picture of how their volunteer and career staff are truly doing, not just how they feel about their job. The NIOSH WellBQ can help departments:

• Identify changes in worker well-being over time
• Assess differences among groups of workers
• Compare with other data (scorecards, turnover, healthcare costs, etc.) to understand impact and drivers of worker well-being

The NIOSH WellBQ takes about 15 minutes to complete and is free to use. Find more information and access the NIOSH WellBQ here. Share and compare data through the HERO Worker Well-Being Clearinghouse.